I have a client where I'm replacing their old 2014 Dell PCs with newer PCs that can run Windows 11. Since each PC has a ton of software installed on them with special drivers, etc., I'm making VHDX images of them, running them through a "wimclone" process where I can actually install the image on to the new PCs (after I have verified the new PCs were digitally licensed before wiping them).
One of the issues I discovered (more of an annoyance than a real issue) was two identical users on the screen. First off, I was confused as to how I could have two users with the same name on the login list. Secondly, the additional user account wasn't really an account as it went to nowhere land if you selected it. Come to find out, this is common when a third-party login provider is installed on the system.
As I mentioned previously, the original PCs are Dell PCs. So they have Dell software pre-installed on them. Turns out in most cases (not all because I ran into another one where this fix didn't work) removing the Dell Data Protection Service removes the phantom user from the login screen. Great, I thought.
Except, today, I imaged another PC in my replacement lineup that also had the secondary phantom user and did NOT have the Dell Data Protection Service installed. And yes, it also was a Dell, so I'm not entirely sure what this specific PC is doing. I'm also not going to spend a crap-ton of time on the issue as the primary account is the default account and the users have been trained well enough to know that's the one to use.
If you've run into this and have some words of wisdom to share about what else could be causing the phantom user account, I'm all ears. I've gone down the registry route looking at the profile list, etc. so I don't need that information again.
One of the issues I discovered (more of an annoyance than a real issue) was two identical users on the screen. First off, I was confused as to how I could have two users with the same name on the login list. Secondly, the additional user account wasn't really an account as it went to nowhere land if you selected it. Come to find out, this is common when a third-party login provider is installed on the system.
As I mentioned previously, the original PCs are Dell PCs. So they have Dell software pre-installed on them. Turns out in most cases (not all because I ran into another one where this fix didn't work) removing the Dell Data Protection Service removes the phantom user from the login screen. Great, I thought.
Except, today, I imaged another PC in my replacement lineup that also had the secondary phantom user and did NOT have the Dell Data Protection Service installed. And yes, it also was a Dell, so I'm not entirely sure what this specific PC is doing. I'm also not going to spend a crap-ton of time on the issue as the primary account is the default account and the users have been trained well enough to know that's the one to use.
If you've run into this and have some words of wisdom to share about what else could be causing the phantom user account, I'm all ears. I've gone down the registry route looking at the profile list, etc. so I don't need that information again.